Because You Live
by Angelv98
Summary: What does one do when the person they devoted their life too crushed their heart and left them in the cold?  They move on.  At least, they try to move on.  When Sasuke reappears in her life, will Sakura be able to keep herself from loving him?
1. A Whim

**A/N: ****I am repostig this story, as I have been editing it lately, and I want people to read the better version. Normally I wouldn't have done so, but I added things to the chapters and stuff, and I wanted the people who had originally begun to read this story to be fully caught up, and have the opportunity to read the awesomeness. XD**

**This was one of my very first stories, and now that I am a better writer, I wanted to go back and redo my earlier stuff. So, if you have read this before, tell me if you like the changes, and if you haven't, tell me what you think. =)**

**Because You Live**

_Chapter One_

-A Whim-

He could feel the earth trembling beneath his feet, accompanied by the sound of screaming, and what could be described as mountains breaking. Curious, he decided to go check it out. So he cloaked his chakra, and headed for the source of all the commotion.

What he saw astounded him. There stood Sakura, Jounin vest splattered with blood, face smudged with dirt, and emerald eyes glowing with adrenaline. Surrounding her was a demolished camp, and several dead shinobi. The earth around her was torn to pieces, her work no doubt.

He felt what could be called pride at her actions. She had become stronger than he originally thought she would be. A kunoichi worth fearing, a kunoichi worth his attention. Something he never thought she would ever become.

"It's rude and cowardly to just hide in the bushes you know. Why not face your death head on?" he heard her ask as her eyes landed on the bushes he was hiding in.

Anticipation welled inside of him. She had sensed him. He couldn't wait to see just how much she had grown since their last encounter. Slowly he stood up, and walked into the clearing.

When she saw him emerge and walk towards her, her eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe it. He was here. _Sasuke_. He looked like he was doing well, from what she could see anyways. He finally stopped wearing that ridiculous purple rope around his waist at least, instead wearing something similar to what his older brother, Uchiha Itachi used to wear. The only difference was that he didn't have a necklace on, and his clothes were black, instead of a dark blue. Nor did he wear a forehead protector or Akatsuki cloak.

She watched him warily as he approached her, not knowing what his intentions were. Having just destroyed an entire camp of rogue ninjas, she had depleted a little over half her chakra. If he wanted to fight her, she wouldn't stand a chance.

"Sakura." He said in his monotonic voice.

Oh, the way her name sounded coming from his mouth always made her melt. But she stood firm. She would not appear like the fan girl she used to be. She wasn't like that anymore, and hadn't been like that for a long time. Her words from earlier coming back to her, she asked,

"Are you going to kill me, Sasuke?"

Instead of answering, he reached out his right hand to cup her face. Using his thumb, he gently stroked her cheek. And, before she knew what was happening, he was kissing her.

And what a kiss it was. His lips were so soft, and the way he was kissing her made her feel as if he were afraid she would push away. Instead, she stood frozen in place, unsure of whether or not she should be angry or happy. She had dreamt of this moment for years after all. But before she could make up her mind, he had pulled away, and just stared at her, his hand remaining against her cheek.

What he had done was for purely selfish reasons. When she had spoken, said his name, all he could do was stare at her. She had changed so much from the annoying twelve year old girl she used to be. Then, the thought of kissing her crossed his mind, so he decided to act on it. She wouldn't mind, after all, he knew she still loved him.

When he pulled away, Sakura had a look of pure shock on her face. It was so funny that he almost laughed.

"W-what was that for?" she stuttered, her emerald eyes wide.

He decided to answer her question in a similar way to how he had spoken to Naruto when they had found him and Orochimaru at their base, since he was unable to come up with a better reason. "I kissed you on a whim."

It was close enough to the truth, if not all of it. She didn't look very happy though. Her startled look turned into a glare, and she stiffened before moving so that her cheek was no longer being held in his hand.

"Well, if you are done with your whims, Sasuke, I'd appreciate it if you'd answer my first question. Are you going to kill me or not? Some of us have responsibilities to fulfill you know." She said, crossing her arms. How dare he touch her that way? As if they were close. They hadn't ever been close, and probably never would be. So what was he doing? Just screwing with her?

Oh yeah, she was pissed, he thought with a smirk. He could see it in the way she was standing, as well as that alluring spark in her eyes. Might as well have some fun with her while he had the time. "I won't kill you today, Sakura. I want to fight you when you have all your chakra. At least then you _might_ challenge me."

She bridled at his words. "Might? I'll show you might, you arrogant, self-assured piece of-"

Before she could finish he kissed her again, though this one was nothing like his first one. It was like he was branding her, his lips pressing against hers harshly, making sure that even after they separated, she would still feel the lingering effects of his mouth over hers. Just as Sakura regained her senses enough for the thought of raising her arm to punch him square in the jaw, he pulled away from her. "I'll be seeing you again." He promised, giving her one last smirk before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. They would meet again, and when they did, he hoped to see her full potential.

Left standing in the middle of the ruined camp, Sakura let out a frustrated shriek, stomping her foot before fuming silently to herself. Oh, he could bet his emo ass they would meet again. And when they did, she would use all her strength to pound him into the earth, just as he deserved. She would prove to him that she, Haruno Sakura, was no pushover. Not anymore. At that thought, she turned and headed back to the hidden leaf village to tell Naruto what had happened. He was the Hokage after all, and would want to know of her encounter with the last Uchiha.


	2. Stupid Whims

**Because You Live**

_Chapter Two_

-Stupid Whims-

Sakura paced Naruto's office as she told him what had happened. She told him everything, down to the smallest detail, including when Sasuke had kissed her. Naruto was her heart's brother after all, and she always told him everything. Well, almost always. She didn't tell him how the kiss had affected her, or that somewhere deep down, she still cared for Sasuke.

How could she not care for him? She'd known him since entering the Academy, had become his teammate, fought with him, defended him, and followed him. She would have even followed him to Orochimaru's if he'd let her. He was her first love.

As she explained everything that had happened, she thought that Naruto's reaction to her news was odd. Almost disconcerting. Instead of jumping up and rushing to make plans to go after Sasuke as she expected, the blonde just sat there and listened. When she finished, she stopped pacing and stood before his desk, her hands clasped behind her back.

"What do you want to do about it?" she asked, gazing at him expectantly.

Naruto leaned back in his chair, sighing. "What do you want me to do? I could send a squad over to check the area, but Sasuke's probably long gone by now." He said.

"We should go and bring him back! We were his teammates!" Sakura shouted, frowning at him. Why wasn't he eager to find the missing member of Team Seven? This was Uzumaki Naruto. He had always been passionate about retrieving Sasuke. Did he not care anymore? The mere thought seemed impossible to her.

"Sakura, I understand your concern, but I have a responsibility to the village now. I can't just get up and leave it defenseless every time Sasuke's been spotted. What kind of Hokage would I be if I did that?" he said, actually sounding serious.

She understood his reasoning, but it just sounded so un-Naruto-like. Maybe he had grown up and she just hadn't realized it. It was about time he did, but she wasn't happy that he chose now to do it. So she decided to try a different approach.

"What about the promise you made me? Huh? To bring him back no matter what?" she asked. She felt guilty for using this against him, but it would all work out for the greater good in the end. He would cave, send her and a team out to find Sasuke, and she would get to kick the stoic Uchiha's ass once and for all.

"That was a long time ago." He said simply.

Sakura frowned, not expecting that kind of response from him. Especially after how beaten up about it he'd been every time he'd failed in bringing Sasuke back. "So you're going back on your nindo? What happened to the old Naruto?"

"He became Hokage. Now I don't want to hear any more on the subject Sakura. Is that clear?" the blonde asked, lacing his fingers together and setting them on his desk.

She gave a quick nod, wanting to leave before she blew up at him. It wasn't like he wasn't right, but she didn't want to admit it. She was supposed to be the smart one, and he the idiot. That was just the way things were. "Yes Hokage-sama." She said, turning and leaving his office.

Once he was alone, Naruto ran his hand through his yellow locks in frustration. He knew Sakura didn't agree with him based on her reply. She only ever called him by his formal title when she was upset with him. But telling her his real reason at this point in time would be unwise.

Sasuke had thrown a hitch in his plan, that was for sure, and now he would have to come up with a way to fix it. Damn you and your stupid whims Sasuke, the blonde thought with a shake of his head. Damn you.

All he had wanted to do today was leave early, train a bit, and take Hinata out for some ramen. But no. Now he would have to go talk to Tsunade and see what should be done. She was the one who had set this whole plan in motion after all, right before stepping down from her title as Hokage.

With that, he left his office in a yellow flash, wanting to get all of this taken care of as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>With nothing to do and no upcoming missions to prepare for, Sakura made her way to the hospital. At least there she could do something useful while having plenty of time to think about everything that had happened.<p>

It just didn't make sense. Why would Sasuke kiss her? He said it was a whim, and she believed him, because anything else was just…unreal. He had never shown any indication when they were younger that he wanted to kiss her, or that he was even interested in the fairer sex. He always said that she was annoying, and hadn't even paid the other girls in the village any mind. Instead he chose to remain mysterious and reclusive, only associating with Naruto and Kakashi in order to train, and only ever spending time with her when they were out on a mission.

But he did thank her when he had left. And it was those two words that had haunted her ever since that fateful night. What did he mean by that? Thank you for what? Thank you for loving me? Thank you for always being there? It could be anything, if it even still meant anything at all.

She let out a frustrated sigh as the hospital finally came into view down the street, blowing some of her bangs from her face in the process. She was just wasting her time thinking of the many possibilities, so she closed off the subject in her mind, and entered the hospital, letting more serious matters occupy her thoughts.

* * *

><p>Months passed by, and not once did she mention Sasuke to Naruto. A few times she had begun to broach the subject, but when her blonde teammate skillfully avoided anything that could lead to a discussion of him every time, she decided to drop it. She felt it would only upset both of them, and she didn't want to risk hurting her bond with Naruto over an old one that she'd had with the last Uchiha.<p>

Her eighteenth birthday came and went, and she had progressed so much in her training, that she was now a medical Anbu. They didn't have many medics in Anbu, and so she had been accepted without question. She's had to take the Anbu tests of course, but she'd passed, proving that she really had earned her spot. Her mother was proud of her, even though she didn't know the true meaning behind her only child's decision. But to Sakura, it had great significance. Now she was strong enough to defeat Sasuke the next time she saw him. She had a feeling she would see him again, she just didn't know when. But he had promised that they would, and she had learned long ago to never take promises from him lightly.

At the moment she was headed over to the Hokage Tower to see Naruto. She had just returned from a long solo mission in Earth Country, and had heard a rumor about a mounting attack on Leaf. She wasn't too terribly worried, because it didn't seem like they had a sound plan yet on destroying Leaf, and from what she had learned, they weren't very organized.

She leapt onto the windowsill, Anbu mask in place for secrecy, and waited for permission to enter. Naruto was inside seated at his desk, bent over the wood slightly and scribbling on a scroll.

He continued writing on the scroll in front of him, and without looking up, asked, "What news do you have?"

She hopped down into the room and walked until she was in front of his desk. "The mission was a success, however, I have some troubling news."

At this he stopped what he was working on and looked up, meeting her gaze through her cat mask. "What is it?" he asked, appearing curious.

"There are rumors in Earth country of an impending attack on the Leaf." She informed him.

He just nodded slowly, appearing in thought. "I see."

"You don't seem too worried about it." she observed, tilting her head to the side a small fraction.

"I have already been informed about it from someone else." He told her, looking back down at what he had been working on, appearing as if he were about to return to the task.

She ripped off her mask in one swift motion, revealing the confusion on her face. "By who? I am the only Leaf ninja that has been stationed in Earth for the past three months. There's no way anybody else could have heard of it. The whole thing is pretty hush-hush." She said.

Naruto looked back up at her, his hand hovering over the document before him, as he was just about to begin writing something. "I have other ways of getting information Sakura. After all, I am the world's most unpredictable ninja." he said, a huge grin coming to his face.

Instead of going along with his joke, and laughing about it like she normally would have, she couldn't help but remember his unpredictable, and unprecedented reaction the last time she had brought him serious news. It had been when she'd run in to Sasuke. "Yeah, your lack in caring about the Sasuke situation only proves that." She said somewhat harshly, unable to stop herself. She knew she shouldn't have even brought it up, had told herself she would try and let the matter go, but the words were already out of her mouth. Besides, it was about time she gave him her opinion.

The smile fell off of his face, and set down his pen, sighing in defeat. "Sakura, we already talked about his."

She slammed her fist on his desk in frustration, causing it to shake, and the wood to creak from the force. "No, you dismissed it. Why won't you do anything? And don't lie to me this time." She said, pointing at him and narrowing her eyes threateningly.

Naruto raised his hands in submission. "Sakura, let me explain-"

"If no one will take care of Sasuke I will. Even if it means going against your orders. After everything he's done, he deserves to be punished." She interrupted, lowering her arm and straightening to show that she meant what she said. Suddenly a third member entered the conversation, causing the other two to stiffen, though for completely different reasons.

"And who's going to punish me Sakura? You? I look forward to it." a deep voice said, sounding smug.

The pink haired woman froze, and it seemed like time was beginning to slow down, as if she were in a parallel universe. That voice. She knew that voice. It was a voice that had haunted her for many years. Slowly, she turned around, only to see the bane of her existence leaning casually against the wall, a small, sexy smirk adorning his lips.

_Sasuke._


	3. Of Secrets and Missions

**Because You Live**

_Chapter Three_

-Of Secrets and Missions-

The look of shock on Sakura's face when her gaze connected with his own was priceless. He knew he shouldn't have revealed himself, but it was about time she knew.

When Naruto found out that he had met Sakura, he was pissed. So what if he almost blew his cover? Things would be easier now that she knew anyways. Kakashi had found out years ago, so it was about time the final member of Team Seven knew as well.

She looked from him to Naruto. "What the hell is he doing here? What the hell is going on?" she demanded, stomping her foot.

The dobe grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Hehe, well you see Sakura-chan, Sasuke has been working for Leaf as an undercover agent. Sort of like what the pervy sage did."

"You mean he's your other source?" her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Naruto's grin widened, and he nodded. "Yup!"

She turned to back to Sasuke. "Why didn't you tell me when I saw you all those months ago?"

He raised his right shoulder in what could be called a shrug. "You wouldn't have believed me, and even if you did, it was not something you needed to know at the time."

She looked hurt by that, but it was the truth. She turned abruptly, reached across Naruto's desk, and grabbed him by the collar. Then she began to shake him furiously.

"You idiot! I can't believe you didn't tell me!" she yelled in the blonde's face.

Naruto at least had the decency to look afraid for his life, and even extremely apologetic. "I-I'm sorry Sakura-chan! It was confidential!"

"Hn, Kakashi knew." Sasuke pointed out, knowing full well that it would make the situation worse. But he didn't care. It was funny to watch her beat up the dobe after all. Instead, she let go of him and hung her shoulders in defeat.

"You told Kakashi-sensei, and not me?" she asked softly, her hurt evident.

"Well Sasuke needed to learn a few things about tracking, stealth, and information gathering. Kakshi-sensei was the best person to do this since he used to be in ANBU." Naruto explained, oblivious to why she was taking this news so harshly.

She straightened, squaring her shoulders in the process. "I see. Very well Hokage-sama. I'll leave. You two probably have something important to discuss that I am not privy to anyways."

She walked across the room and grabbed the handle of the door. With her back facing them she said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this. Contrary to popular belief, I _can_ be trusted." With that she left, slamming the door in the process, and causing the wall to get a crack in it from the amount of force that she used.

Naruto sighed. "Great, now I have to fix the wall again." Suddenly he pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke. "Damn you teme! Why did you do that?"

"Because I can." And with that, he proceeded to tell Naruto the new information he had gathered concerning Earth Country.

* * *

><p>Sakura ran as fast as she could to her training grounds. She thought of them as hers because she was the one responsible for all the damage they had sustained throughout the years. She really needed to let off some steam and crush something. Screw her written report that needed filing. Naruto could suck it.<p>

She just couldn't believe it. This whole time, Sasuke had been working for Leaf. He was a 'good guy' again. But the fact that Naruto and Kakashi didn't think enough of her to tell her about Sasuke hurt. She understood why Sasuke hadn't said anything. Even if he was allowed to he probably wouldn't have. But for two of her most trusted friends to not tell her, it really said something about what they thought about her, despite their protests.

It just didn't make sense. Why was Sasuke doing this? The last time she had seen him, along with Naruto and Kakashi, all he could talk about was avenging his clan and destroying the Leaf Village. Was this part of his plan? To get closer to Naruto, re-earn his trust, and then betray the village again? What had changed?

Such were her thoughts as she arrived at her training grounds, and were the last things she allowed herself to think before tightening her gloves and directing chakra to her fist.

* * *

><p>About an hour and a half later, a less frustrated Sakura made her way home. She could have been there by now if she used her ninja skills, but she enjoyed the feeling of normalcy that walking brought her. It also gave her the chance to see some of her civilian friends, most of them people she saw on her way to and from the hospital, or were previous patients she had had. The fact that she could remember their names and faces made them happy, and it pleased her as well that the small things she did for people seemed to make such a big impact on their daily lives.<p>

As soon as she entered her apartment she knew she wasn't alone. After all, it was difficult to have a chakra signature as big as her intruder's and not be detected. Either they weren't very good at concealing themselves, or they wanted her to know of their presence. Feigning ignorance, she walked into the kitchen, stopping before her rack of cutting knives. When she felt the presence behind her, she grabbed a steak knife and threw it at the intruder, ending her attack in a defensive crouch. She didn't hear the knife connect with anything, which meant that it had been caught. She frowned at this knowledge. Damn.

"Tsk tsk Sakura. You could have killed me." A deep, familiar voice said from the shadows.

Her frown deepened. What was he doing here? And how did he know where she lived? She slowly stood up and said, "Well you shouldn't be breaking into people's apartments Sasuke. Besides, we both know that a wound caused by a simple knife would be the farthest thing capable of killing you." She flipped on the kitchen lights, illuminating the area. Sasuke was standing in the entrance of the kitchen, examining the knife.

"Hn." Was all he said, before tossing it into the air and catching it by the blade expertly. Sakura watched him warily as he began to play with the knife. The best thing to do would be to feign indifference. Most of the things Sasuke did were in order to get a reaction, and so she would give him one that he wouldn't be expecting from her. She reached up into the cabinet and pulled out two cups.

"Tea?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at him.

He didn't even look at her as he continued doing little tricks with her knife. "Sure."

After setting the pot of water on the stove, she turned towards him and leaned against the counter. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sneaking out of the village, off to gather more information for Naruto?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He finally stopped messing with the knife and set it down on the counter. "Naruto has a mission for you. I am just here to relay the message."

"Why would he send you and not a messenger?" she raised a delicate brow. "You would be less likely to be caught that way.

"Because I am going on the mission with you. As the leader." He told her simply, watching her to gauge her reaction.

Her eyes widened at this news. "What?" she asked, pure disbelief on her façade and in her voice. Before she could answer, the pot behind her began to hiss, signaling that the tea was ready. She turned and took the kettle off the stove, pouring the hot water into the cups as she collected her thoughts. Why would Naruto send her on a mission with Sasuke? Did he want her to go insane? Because chances were that not halfway through the mission she would wind up doing one of two things. Trying to beat the living hell out of him, or committing suicide to put herself out of her misery, both of which sounded tempting already. "What kind of mission is it?" She asked, thankful that her voice remained even as she turned and handed him a cup.

"He wants us to further investigate the situation in Earth Country, and eliminate any threats." He informed her, taking a small sip of the steaming liquid.

Sakura did the same, watching him over the rim of her cup. "I see. And why can't he send Kakashi-sensei with you?"

"He is on a mission already." He said, looking down into his cup and swirling his tea as if he were bored with the conversation. "And Naruto thinks it would be good for us to work together on this one, since we both discovered the strange occurrences in Earth, as well as help us get to know one another once more."

"Oh. Well I work better alone so I guess you're out of luck." She said flippantly, setting her cup down and trying to keep her hand from trembling. "Besides, I already know you well enough to not want to know any more, so Naruto can just wait until Kakashi-sensei comes back, or send you out on your own. You seem to prefer it that way anyways." she said, and before she could look back up at the avenger, Sakura found herself slammed against the wall in her kitchen, her entire body being held in place by Sasuke's. Startled emerald shot up to be met with furious crimson.

"You know _nothing_ about me," He practically seethed, pressing her into the wall further in warning. "Just as you never have known anything about me."

Her startled gaze turned into a glare. "Well it goes both ways Sasuke. It's not like I never tried to get to know you. But you just belittled me and pushed me away. So the only one to blame for that is you." She said. "Now get off of me."

He stared at her for a few seconds, until eventually his sharingan swirled back into the deep charcoal his eyes had always been. "I am offering you the opportunity to get to know me Sakura." He said, his lips mere inches from hers. He leaned closer to her then, and Sakura could feel her heartbeat pick up. Was he going to kiss her again? If he did, how would she respond this time?

Instead, he placed his lips next to her ear. "It's your choice whether or not you want to take this opportunity. And afterwards, who knows, we could be the best of friends." He mocked, letting his lips trail along her jaw as he pulled away. He smirked then, taking in Sakura's frozen, shocked face. "And for the record, I know tons of things about you. The dobe just never shuts up when I come to give him my report." He released her then, walking over and picking up his cup of tea before finishing it off.

He carefully placed his cup on the bar when all of its contents were drained. Turning to leave, he looked at her over his shoulder. "Be ready to leave tomorrow at dawn. You can meet me one mile southeast of the main gate." Then he vanished in a puff of smoke before she could say anything in response.

Sakura herself was still in shock, her mind finally processing everything that had just happened. She slid down the wall helplessly, sitting there on her kitchen floor.

Damn Uchiha. How dare he act all superior and ignore her. She supposed he hadn't really changed all that much from the arrogant, self-assured boy she once knew. Though, that wasn't completely true. He had changed, some ways more noticeable than others. His body, for instance, was no longer that of a child, but that of a man. A very defined, muscular man. She knew that for a fact, as while he had had her pressed against the wall she'd been subconsciously marveling at the feel of being so close to a man, something she'd never experienced before.

She shook her head, finally getting up from her spot on the floor. She just didn't need to think about it, she thought, picking up her cup and pouring the rest of its contents down the sink. What she needed to do right now was take a nice, long, relaxing bath, and let her mind forget its troubles. Though that task was easier said than done.

The only bright side to this mission was that she might be able to finally get some answers out of him.


End file.
